Adjustable flashlight holder



Oct. 17, 1961 T. F. COTE 3,005,091

ADJUSTABLE FLASHLIGHT HOLDER Filed April 24, 1959 /920 j A2 I INVENTOR BY K ATTORNEY United States This invention relates to a flashlight holder of extremely simple construction in which a conventional flashlight is detachably mounted and yieldably gripped for supporting the flashlight in a desired position for use and so that both hands of the user will be left free.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flashlight holder including a resilient part for releasably and yieldably gripping and holding a flashlight and a second part, to which said resilient part is detachably connected and which second part can be adjustably positioned for supporting the flashlight with the axis thereof at a desired angle for directing the light beam from the flashlight in a desired direction.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating presently preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the flashlight holder, shown in an applied position supporting a flashlight;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the flashlight holder of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the portion of the flashlight holder, illustrated in FIGURE 2, and showing a flashlight applied thereto;

FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 44 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 5--5 of FIGURE 3, and

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a slightly modified form of the flashlight holder.

Referring more specifically to the drawing and first with reference to the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 5, the flashlight holder in its entirety is designated generally 7 and includes a support, designated generally 8, and a flashlight engaging member, designated generally 9.

The flashlight support 8 includes a strap loop 10 and a slide 11. The strap loop 10 is composed of a flexible strap 12 formed of a nonelastic material such as fabric or leather having a conventional hook and eye connection 13 for detachably connecting the ends of the strap 12 together, and an adjustable slide 14, of a conventional type, for varying the length of the strap between the halves of the hook and eye connection 13. The strap loop 10 is adapted to be worn over one shoulder and under the other arm, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and the slide 11 is mounted on the portion of the strap loop 10 which extends over the shoulder, and may obviously be disposed on the right shoulder rather than the left shoulder 15, as illustrated.

The slide 11 is formed from a single piece of sheet metal which is cut transversely at the two side edges thereof to provide pairs of end flaps 16 and a pair of intermediate flaps 17. The end flaps 16 are folded downwardly and inwardly under an intermediate portion 18 of the slide 11, which extends from end-to-end thereof. The intermediate flaps 17 are folded upwardly and inwardly to overlie the intermediate part of the slide portion 18. The adjacent ends or edges of the flaps 17 and 16 are disposed in slightly spaced apart relation to one another, as best illustrated in FIGURE 5, and the flaps 16 are spaced from the underside of the slide portion 18 while the flaps 17 are spaced from the upper side thereof,

atent as seen in FIGURES 4 and 5. A portion of the strap 12 extends through the slide 11 between the base portion 18 thereof and the lower flaps 16 and is frictionally gripped by the parts 16 and 18 to retain the slide in any adjusted position on the strap loop 10 to which it is moved, but to permit the slide to be forcibly moved longitudinally of the strap loop. The sheet metal of which the slide 11 is formed is sufliciently bendable so that the flaps 16 can be bent toward or away from the base 18 to provide a desired frictional contact of the slide with the strap 12.

The flashlight engaging member 9 is formed from a single elongated strand of a relatively heavy gauge spring wire and is bent to provide two corresponding legs 19 which are normally disposed substantially parallel to one another. An intermediate portion of the strand is bent to provide an open loop 20, which is located between portions of the legs 19 and which has a restricted opening 21 at one end thereof, formed by adjacently disposed portions 22 of the strand. Said strand includes corresponding portions 23 which extend in diverging relation to one another from said neck forming portions 22 and in a direction away from the loop 20, and which have outwardly curved diverging end portions 24 which merge integrally with corresponding ends of the legs 19. The strand portions 23 are inclined downwardly, relative to the plane of the legs 19, from their arcuately bent outer ends 24 toward the neck forming'portions 22. Said neck forming portions 22 are bowed upwardly relative to the parts of the strand portions 23 which merge therewith and relative to the loop 20, which is disposed below the level of the strand portions 23. The terminal portions of the strand form extensions of the ends of the legs 19 which are located remote from the bends 24, and each of said terminal portions includes a part 25 which extends upwardly from the forward or distal end of the leg 19 thereof, a part 26 which is bent backwardly from the part 25 and which is disposed above and spaced from the leg 19, and a terminal part 27 which extends downwardly from the inner or rear end of the part 26, back to an intermediate portion of the leg 19. The parts 25, 26 and 27 and the portion of the leg 19, disposed between the parts 25 and 27, constitute a resilient flashlight gripping jaw, designated generally 28. The jaw portions 25 and 27 are bowed outwardly and the portions 19 of said jaws are disposed closer together than the upper portions 26 thereof. The closed forward end of the loop 20 terminates between portions of the legs 19, substantially behind or rearwardly of the forward ends 25 of the jaws 28, as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4.

The flashlight engaging member 9 is detachably connected to a conventional flashlight 29 by forcing a part of the flashlight barrel 30 between the clamping jaws 28 for causing the clamping jaws to be yieldably spread thereby so that the flashlight will be gripped therebetween. The loop 29 of the member 9 is then inserted under the upwardly turned back flaps 17 and the member 9 is displaced longitudinally of the slide '11 to advance the loop 20 into a position beneath said flaps 17. As the upwardly bowed neck portions 22 assume positions under the flaps 17 said portions 22 will be displaced downwardly by contact with the flaps 17 for forcing the loop 20 downwardly into frictional engagement with a part of the base 18, which is located beneath the flaps 17, and so that the upwardly bowed neck portions 22 will frictionally engage the undersides of the flaps 17. As the member 9 is further advanced longitudinally of the slide 11, parts of the upwardly and rearwardly inclined strand portions 23 will contact and assume frictional engagement with the edges of the flaps 17, toward which said portions 23 are advanced. Thus,.the memben 9 will be in this manner frictionally connected to the" slide 11 for supporting the flashlight above the slide, as best illustrated in FIGURE 3. The spacing between the strand portions 23 is substantially less than the spacing between the arcuately bent outer edges 31 .of the flaps 17,;so that the flashlight engaging. member 9 may be turned to assume a position at an angle to the longitudinal a is of the slide 11, for positioning the axis of the'flashlight 29 at desired angles for directing the light beams therefrom in any desired direction. The member 9 will be frictionally held, as previously described, in its different angularly adjusted positions relative to the slide 11. 1 Also, since the slide 11 can be adjusted along the strap 12, said. slide can be adjusted relative to the shoulder 15 so that it will be inclined either upwardly or downwardly to thus vary the vertical angle of the light beams. It will thus be readily apparent that the flash-light holder 7 can eflectively function for supporting a flashlight in a desired position so that the light beams therefrom will be directed toa desired point where illumination is needed and so that both hands of the user will be left free.

It will also be apparent that the flashlight engaging member 9 may be applied to the slide 11, and the flashlight 29 thereafter engaged with the member 9, or the flashlight may be removed from the member 9 while said member is connected to the slide 11.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a modification of the flashlight holder, designated generally 33, and wherein the strap loop 10 and slide 11 are omitted and replaced by a suction cup 34 which is provided on its convex side with a head 35. The head 35 is connected to the body of the suction cup by a restricted neck 36 which is sized to fit snugly in the loop and which can be forcibly passed through the opening 21 between the neck forming portions 22, for detachably connecting the flashlight engaging member 9 to the suction cup 34. The suction cup 34 can be secured in a conventional manner to any flat surface 37 which may be either a horizontal, vertical or for slidably and frictionally engaging the shoulder strap, said slide including a substantially flat base extending from end-to-end thereof and having end portions forming upper portions of said sleeves, said slide having intermediate flaps overlying an intermediate part of said base portion and combining therewith to form an upper sleeve having open ends disposed crosswise of the slide, said loop frictionally and detachably engaging in said upper sleeve for mounting the flashlight engaging member on the slide. 7

4. A flashlight holder as in claim 3, said loop being oflset relative to the'plane of said legswhereby portions of said legs are disposed on the upper side of the upper sleeve when said loop is disposed within the upper sleeve.

5. A flashlight holder as in claim 4, portions of said strand, defining the open end of said loop, being upwardly oflset relative to the remainder of the loop for frictionally engaging the underside of the upper portion of said upper sleeve and for maintaining the remainder of said loop in frictional engagement with a part of the a lower portion of said upper sleeve.

inclined surface and so that the longitudinal axis of the member 9 will be disposed to extend in any desired direction. The flashlight 29 is mounted in the member 9 in the same manner as previously described and is supported thereby so that the light beams from the flashlight will be directed toward a desired area.

Various modifications and changes in the embodiments of the invention as disclosed are contemplated and may be resorted to, without departing from the function or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A flashlight holder comprising a flashlight engaging member formedfrorn a single strand of resilient wire including a pair of corresponding elongated transversely spaced legs having outwardly turned back portions at corresponding ends thereof combining with complementary portions of said legs to form opposed clamping jaws which are elongated in a direction lengthwise of the legs and between which a flashlight is adapted to be releasably clamped, said flashlight engaging member including a loop formed by the intermediate portion of said strand-said loop being disposed between portions of said legs, being oflset from the plane of the legs in a direction away from the clamping jaws and having an open end opening in a direction away from said jaws, said strandtincluding portions forming diverging extensions of the 'open end of said loop and merging with the other. ends of said legs,1and a support to which said loop is detachably. connected. 7 V

2. A flashlight holder as in claim 1, said support comprising a suction cup having a restricted neck fitting detachably in said loop, said suction cup opening in a direction away from said jaws.

3. A flashlight holder as in claim 1, said support in cluding a shoulder strap and a slide, said slide being elongated and having sleeve portions at the ends thereof 6. A flashlight holder as in claim 5, said loop being turnable to a limited extent within the upper sleeve for positioning the longitudnial, axis of said flashlight engaging member at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the slide.

7. An article holder formed from a single strand of resilient wire including a pair of elongated transversely spaced legs having outwardly turned back portions at corresponding ends thereof combining with complementary portions of said legs to form opposed clamping jaws between which an article to be supported is adapted to be releasably clamped, said article holder'inoluding a loop formed by the intermediate portion of said strand and disposed between portions of said legs and offset from the plane of the legs in a direction away from said clamping jaws, said loop having an open end opening in a direction away from the clamping jaws, said strand including portions forming diverging extensions of the open end of said loop and merging with the other ends of said legs; a shoulder strap, anda slide supported by said shoulder strap and detachably supporting said article holder, said slide including an elongated substantially flat base and parts cooperating with an intermediate portion ofsaid base to form a' sleeve disposed above base and longitudinally thereof, said sleeve havingopen ends, said loop frictionally and detachably engaging in said sleeve for mounting the article holder on the slide, and the end portions of said base including means through which parts of the shoulder strap extend and in which said shoulder strap parts are frictionally engaged for adjustably mounting the slide'o'n the shoulder strap.

8. A flashlight holder comprising a flashlight engaging member formed from a single strand of resilient wire including a pair of corresponding elongated transversely spaced legs having outwardly turned back portions at corresponding ends thereof combining with complementary portions of said legs to form opposed-clamping jaws which are elongated in a direction lengthwise of the legs member.

and between which a flashlight is adapted to be releasably clamped, said flashlight engaging member including a loop formed by the intermediate portion of said strand, said loop being disposed between portions of said legs, being oflset from the plane of the legs in a direction away from the clamping jaws, and having an open end opening in a direction away from said jaws, said strand including portions forming diverging extensions of the open end of said loop and mergingwith the other ends of said legs, and a slide member adapted to be adjustably mounted on and supported by a strap member and defining a sleeve in which said loop is frictionally mounted for mounting the flashlight engaging member on the slide (References on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Arnold Sept. 5, 1916 DeYoung Oct. 14, 1919 Sears June 2, 1925 Gregory Sept. 29, 1925 Kaplan June 18, 1929 6 Gracomini Feb. 4, 1930 Storaasli Apr. 7, 1936 Dial June 25, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britian Oct. 22, 1952 Canada June 19, 1956 

